Canon has unveiled two new additions to its professional cinema and 4K video range, along with a brand new proprietary video format.
The new Canon XC10 compact 4K video and 12MP stills camera. (Source: Canon.)
The new XC10 is a compact, lightweight video and digital stills camera that can record movies with 4K resolution along with 12-megapixel still images. Designed for budding filmmakers as well as experienced professionals, the XC10 has a 1-inch (12.8 x 9.6 mm) CMOS sensor and Canon’s new DIGIC DV5 image processor. Its 10x optical zoom lens covers a focal length range equivalent to 27.3-273mm in 35mm format in video mode. A 7.66 cm vari-angle touch-screen LCD, with 100% field coverage, provides direct access to the menu system through a simple set of cross keys. An included optical loupe viewfinder fits over the screen for a more traditional shooting experience.
The XC10 introduces Canon’s new XF-AVC H.264 codec, a high bit rate codec, which supports recording in both 4K and Full HD quality. The resulting footage is easy to integrate into industry-standard Non-Linear Edit systems. Canon Log Gamma also enables maximum freedom in post-production editing and processing, and seamless quality matching with content shot on Cinema EOS cameras. Users can record in 4K, and later convert to Full HD, to produce higher quality footage and enable greater flexibility in the editing process.
The XC10 can record UHDTV standard (3840 x 2160) 4K footage to an internal CFast 2.0 card at up to 305Mbps, or Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage to an SD card at up to 50Mbps, with pro-standard 4:2:2 colour sampling for high resolution performance.
Users can choose from a selection of slow and fast motion recording modes ““ including up to 1200x fast motion in 4K/Full HD, and up to 1/4x slow motion in HD ““ as well as interval shooting. The XC10 is also Wi-Fi compatible; enabling remote control of key features via a browser, smart-phone or tablet. The XC10 is expected to go on sale in mid June 2015.
Canon’s new EOS C300 Mark II for professional video photographers. (Source: Canon.)
Canon has also announced the EOS C300 Mark II, which builds on the success of the EOS C300 and features an advanced imaging engine with dual DIGIC DV5 processors, new professional codecs and outstanding dynamic range. With the ability to record 10-bit 4:2:2 files internally at up to 410Mbps in 4K, or 10/12-bit 4:4:4 files in 2K/Full HD, with up to 15 stops of dynamic range, the EOS C300 Mark II offers professional filmmakers and broadcasters superior image quality for both broadcast (3840 x 2160) and DCI cinematic (4096 x 2160) resolutions. It can record high bit-rate 4K files internally to dual CFast 2.0 media, while simultaneously recording 4K RAW files to an external recorder and is also capable of recording 2K/Full HD Proxy files to an internal SD card, at the same time.
The new Canon-designed Super 35mm CMOS sensor supports an increased ISO range up to ISO 102,400, enabling operators to capture low-noise footage across a variety of challenging environments. The camera provides both full manual control and a selection of automatic modes, including enhanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF (now covering approx. 80% of the frame vertically and 80% horizontally), auto white balance and Face Detection AF.
Canon’s new range of XF-AVC H.264 codecs is compatible with industry standard Non-Linear Edit systems for easy integration of both 4K and 2K/Full HD footage into editing workflows. Support is also available for a wide range of colour space options, including BT.2020, the Canon Cinema Gamut and DCI-P3. The camera is also the first Cinema EOS model to feature brand new Canon Log2 technology, which enables the 15-stops of dynamic range, significantly wider than previous Cinema EOS cameras. The camera offers new versatility for sound recording too, supporting 4-channel audio recording in 16 or 24 bit and 48 kHz.
Like its predecessor, the EOS C300 Mark II has a modular body that can be adapted to suit different users’ needs through a wide range of accessories and more than 90 current EF and EF Cinema lenses. Internally, it also includes built-in electronically controlled glass ND (neutral density) filters, which reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor by up to 10 stops in expansion mode. Sensor read-out speed is twice as fast as the original EOS C300, further reducing rolling shutter distortion. The EOS C300 Mark II is scheduled to go on sale in early September 2015.
